Amulets by Merlin's Blog

Merlin’s Toasting the Moon Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 25, 2015

Posted in: Amulet Making Workshop, Amulets, Humor, Jewelry design, Workshop. Tagged: Amulet of good cheer, amulet of joy, Amulets by Merlin, Custom Jewelry, jewelry making Video, tutorial of jewelry making, tutorial Video. Leave a comment

Every now and then I am faced with an unusual request.
A very good friend of mine
needed me to create a piece of jewelry
for a video project.
Wanting to demonstrate
“how it’s done”,
he showed up at my door
with camera in hand and said
“Make something”

We spoke shortly about the various steps and he suggested I get out my sketch pad

“What should I make?”

“Something unusual but perhaps something you want to make.
It’s about the process, not necessarily the design.”

I sat with camera rolling
and automatically sketched out a crescent moon,
then thought about a moment over the more milder season
where I got a chance to watch a moon rise
with a mug of mead in my hand.

I then sketched out the scene and quickly signed my name

Toasting the Moon

“Now carve it”

“Really? now?”

“This needs to be in the editing room as soon as possible,
let’s get to it!”

I laughed and we set to the carving bench
and carved the piece.
Allyn caught a lot on camera,
shooting a few minutes
and then leaving me to my work.
When it came time to invest the flasks,
we were on a roll.
Investment takes more than an hour to harden and cure
– he stayed long enough to shoot the “loading of the oven”.

“I’ll be back in the morning” he told me – and so he was.
Anchoring the camera in the rafters,
he got the shot of the centrifuge from above:
metal molten and spilling like lava.
Laughing the entire time
we finished up weeks ahead of his deadline
and he was pleased with his grade!

I came across his footage years later
and decided to clean it up a bit.
A little lute music,
new titles and a logo,
a short tutorial for your pleasure.
To view it,
please visit my:
“How to order custom jewelry and sculpture” page.
It clarifies the lost wax process
and perhaps a peek at the rhythm of this art.

Toasting the Moon became more than a video project,
I find it a great source of joy as I remember it’s creation,
good friends and times.
A true amulet of good cheer!

Here is the video we made:

For more amulets of the moon please visit my Celestial Jewelry Page

The Balanced Star Amulet

Two woven stars interlocked:
the six point star: a composite symbol of the elements
triangles with point up and down illustrating
the alchemical glyphs of Fire, Water, Air and Earth;
and the five point star of the Adam Kadmon:
the First Man
or Father Time;
Humanity in its primal,
perhaps perfected state of existence.

Together these two images represent the balance of forces:
Male (active) and Female (passive).
This is not to say that “all men are active and all women are passive”,
not at all.

In the material world,
we all contain these kinds of energies,
qualities and potential.
The terms are considered “classic” in the sense
of how our cultures perceive the world
and provided descriptions of what has been observed.

Within the glyph,
there is a blending of the two in hope to develop
a “more realistic” manifestation.

In another sense
it is the material world
(six point star with all of its elements)
and the five point star
(what we decide to do with it),
the ability of proactive choice
(the five point star).
A reminder of how we affect the world,
the power of intent,
the purpose of our actions and their result.
A reminder that our “purpose” in the world
is what we decide
rather than what is dictated by outside forces.

The Amulet is intended
to transcend the preconceived illusions
of separate religious,
sociological and philosophical differences
and blend awareness of things into a single piece.
The symbols are woven together:
just as the earth is a weaving together of awareness,
perspective and ability.

The Balanced Star Amulet
is intended for anyone to wear,
everyone who wishes to embrace a diversity and
bring balance to a troubled world.

To see more Pentacles of Merlin, please visit my Pentacles Page

Merlin’s Amulet of Pan

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 24, 2015

Posted in: Amulets, Greek Mythology Jewelry. Tagged: Amulet, Amulets by Merlin, Grape leaf jewelry, Jitterbug Perfume, Love Amulet, Music Amulet, Music Jewelry, nymph, Pan, pan flute, Pan jewelry, Pan pipe, Pan Pipe jewelry, son of Zeus, The Pan, Tom Robbins, Wiccan Jewelry. Leave a comment

Pan is the son of Zeus,
(or Hermes or Dionysus);
his mother a nymph
(or sometimes Dryope?).
In fact,
his parentage is so unclear
some historians consider him Pre-Olympian.
Because of his effect on people
Pan’s qualities appear to be more nature spirit
(or elemental).
As an entity,
he inspires panic,
sexual arousal
or in the higher form:
musical ecstasy.

The Amulet of Pan

Syrinx was a exquisite water-nymph of Arcadia,
daughter of Landon,
the river-god.
As she was returning from the hunt one day,
Pan met her.
In fear of his amorous interest
the fair nymph ran away.
Pan pursued her until she caught up with her sisters
who immediately changed her into a reed.
In his search for her
Pan noticed the air blowing through the reeds
produced a melancholic melody.
The god,
still infatuated,
took a handful because he did not know which reed she became,
and cut seven pieces
forming a musical instrument.
Pan has carried her with him ever since.

Contrary to Plutarch,
Pan is not dead.
In Jitterbug Perfume:
Tom Robbins describes the continued life
of Pan and his exploits
as he sailed to the New World
and lived in America….
but that is another story.

In creating an Amulet of Pan,
I chose his musical aspect.
The Pan amulet is not a simply relief;
it is a 3D sculpture from his waist up,
framed in grape leaves playing his pan pipe.

An amulet to inspire a Panorama:
good music,
good wine
and a celebration
of life itself.

To see more Gods and goddesses , please visit my Mythicals Page

Merlin’s Custom Archaeology Trowel Pendant

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 23, 2015

Posted in: Amulets, Custom Jewelry. Tagged: Archeology amulet, Archeology jewelry, Archeology Pendant, Archeology trowel amulet Custom Archeology pendant, custom Archeology jewelry, Custom Archeology Trowel Pendant, degree in Archeology, Silver Archeology Trowel Jewelry, Sterling silver Archeology Trowel Pendant, trowel. 1 Comment

A young lady who received her degree in Archeology
decided it was time to get a piece
reflecting her chosen field:
a pendant representing a trowel.
Apparently in the course of her degree
she had been doing some filed work
and sent me several images of her tool
with decorated handle of various designs
and told me to “make something like it”.

When I asked her about her choice of professions,
she responded with a rather profound response.
In her words:

“The American Indians,
the slaves of Barbados and the Americas,
the ancient humans before the dawn of writing;
the ones whose stories were never recorded.
The best we can do is bring their unspoken legacy to light
so that we can learn more about who *we* are,
and *why* we are who we are.
Everything is built on the foundation of the past.
Personally, culturally, and socially.

“I had originally thought to buy a class ring,
as a symbol of making it from foster child
and group home kid,
street bum,
and pregnant teenage mother to college graduate.
But then- well,
I bought that cheap trowel pendant at Jamestown
and wore it until it brought out a rash on my skin,
to remind me every time I felt like quitting school
out of frustration
or just sheer exhaustion *why*
I couldn’t quit and keep my self-respect.
To remind me why I needed to stay the course.
Once I realized I was actually going to accomplish this,
I wanted something better
than the crappy pendant I had bought,
I wanted something that was truly *mine*
rather than some generic class ring.”

I set to work in it’s creation.
Made of sterling silver
with the swirls and other designs on the handle,
I made a small replica of her trowel
one and a half inches.
The handle was fitted with a top bail
for hanging on her chain.

Custom Archeology Trowel Pendant

The piece is now worn by a fully fledged,
real life Archeologist!

If you want to have something made specially for you,
please visit my how to order custom page.

Epona or the Gualish “the Great Mare”
is the protector of horses, donkeys, and mules.
A Roman goddess of fertility,
Eponia and her horses
were leaders of the soul
in the after-life ride much like Rhiannon of the Mabanogian.
Unusually considered a Celtic deity,
most of whom were associated with specific localities,
the worship of Epona
was widespread in the Roman Empire of the early centuries.

The Epona Amulet

Among many songs and stories
both classics and modern fiction,
Epona was celebrated in Llewellyn’s novel:
The Horse Goddess.
A Celtic woman who possesses a curious talent.
When her community attempts to force her to be a druid,
she runs away.
Her adventures become folklore
in time she is herald as a Goddess.

Through out my life
I was drawn to the image of a Goddess of Horses
and decided to create an amulet
expressing my love for all Horse-Women
and the Goddesses they are.
The Epona Amulet is a portrait of a Mare and the towering Goddess,
each looking in different directions
denoting their ability to see farther than most,
understand better than many.
A bas relief sculpture
of the Goddess of Horses
is presented with mane and hair of each
braided together
illustrating the blending
of Her manifestation.
Blessings to all who see and know the grace of Epona.

From more Goddess Jewelry, please visit my Mythicals Page

Merlin’s Custom God and Goddess Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 22, 2015

Posted in: Amulets, Custom Jewelry, Druid Jewelry. Tagged: Custom, custom goddess jewelry, God and Goddess, goddess amulet, Sterling silver custom god and goddess jewelry, Sterling silver custom jewelry, sterling silver god and goddess jewelry. Leave a comment

A fellow approached me at a festival
and handed me a very rough stone
and told me he wanted the design to have four basic elements:
a tree, a star and the image of a God and Goddess.
The stone had special meaning to him
He carried it for years
and wanted to be able to wear it on special occasions.

“Just make the piece and I am sure that I will like it” he told me. The amulet you see here is the creation he requested. The God and Goddess Amulet is a one of a kind piece in sterling silver with rough quartz at its heart.

The Custom
God and Goddess Amulet

The design holds the intent of a balance of God and Goddess
influences born from nature
and blessed with the symbol of the star:
all elements in health and harmony.
He was very pleased.

If you are interested in learning more about having something made especially for you.
Please visit my How to order Custom Page.

This is a god of the Old Celtic lines
throughout Europe.
Cern means “horn” in Old Irish
and related to similar words carn
in Welsh and Breton,
and is the origin of Kernow,
meaning horn of land.
The depictions of Cernunnos
are strikingly consistent:
stag’s horns,
and portrayed as a mature man
with long hair
and a beard wearing a torc
to denote nobility.
He often carries other torcs in his hands
to signify wealth and prosperity.
He sits and cross-legged in meditation.

The Amulet of Cernunnos

The Horned God
reflects the seasons of the year
in an annual cycle of life,
death and rebirth.
Cernunnos
is the guardian of the forests,
the defender of the animals
the source of the deep forest wisdom,
and the male aspect of creative energy.
He is called upon for vital,
non-violent masculine divinity.
In the Wheel of the Year,
His time is between Samhain and Beltane
as the Goddess’ time is between Beltane and Samhain.
During these High Holies,
they come together
in a balance of energies,
union and blessings.

I created an interpretation of Cernunnos Amulet as depicted on Gundestrup Cauldron.
The Celtic design dates from the La Tene period.
Here he is shown holding a serpent in one hand
signifying knowledge and connection to the Ancients;
and a tork in the other,
the symbol of holding power in the world of mortals.
This piece is 5/8″
and can be worn as a pendant
and may also sit like a statue on your shelf
or where ever you wish!

The Amulet of Cernunnos

For more amulets of Gods and Goddesses, please visit my Mythicals page

I met my friend Kevin in the late 80s.
Among his many talents,
he creates Knot work designs.
Kevin typically creates very complex,
free form knots
and then tools them into leather
for his garb
for the Society of Creative Anarchism
(SCA)
of which he is a part.

The Celtic Cross of Joy

Unlike the typical border work
of a more standard,
symmetrical knot,
Kevin’s style is to create broad sweeps
and then tiny inter-weaving
to populate a design
or free form shape.
Creating knots of one,
two and three strands,
depending on the use of the knot
and can become very complex
because One is not using any formulas
or pre-made patterns.

I had asked him to design a cross for me
and he smiled.
“I will design this knot
and teach you how it is done
so long as we call the amulet:
“Joy”,
for my friend” he told me.
He had not seen her in years
yet wanted to dedicate the design to her.

He drew it in one sitting:
smiling the entire time.

It is an eternal knot:
one strand from beginning to end
forming a cross
with the circle of spirit in the center:
the “Empty Cross” (He is Risen) design.
Though Catholic:
“she won’t mind” he told me;
“Think of it as a compromise.”
Kevin isn’t Christian!

And so I present to you a
cross dedicated
to friendship
and Joy.

To see more of my Crosses, please visit my Crosses Page

A few years ago I created Jewelry for Isaac Bonewits.
He created renderings of several designs
and sent them to me to create
for his special line of Jewelry.

Dagda’s Club Amulet

One of them is Dagda’s Club.

In his Words:

“Show your devotion to the manliest god of them all: the All Father, the Good (at everything) God, the fabulous Dagda!

“Fiery father of the Gods of Erin, the Dagda is the Supreme Druid, the Mightiest Warrior, and Danu’s Most Fertile Stud. His famous club could kill or resurrect, depending on which end He tapped you with.

“Honor the Dagda by wearing this silver or bronze amulet, designed by Isaac (includes the ogham letters for “Dagda” on the back).”

This represents the Irish All-Father’s magical club,
which was a Druid’s wand,
a warrior’s weapon,
and a Healer’s Blessing of fertility.
Entwining snakes embossed on a club,
topped by three tri-spirals.
A back Bail allows a hidden yet sturdy way
of wearing it on a chain or cord.
Script of the artist “Bonewits”
and producer “Merlin” of
Amulets by Merlin found on the back.

Isaac’s Amulets are a beautiful combination of design,
comfort and concept.
You may purchase these amulets through my site.
Each piece purchased Isaac’s Household receives a royalty
to both help extend his legacy promoting good will
and clarity to the world.
To learn about Isaac Bonewits,
his writings and more,
you may visit his website.

If you would like something special made
please visit my How to Order Custom Page

The Kallisti Amulet
has been a source of humor for centuries.
To understand this “Ancient Prank”,
here is a brief lesson in Greek Mythology…

Kallisti Amulet

Known for being a trouble maker,
Eris was not in the list of guests
invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis,
the parents of Achilles.
In spite of the lack of invitation
she came to the reception party
and threw a solid gold apple through the door
with the inscription:

Kallisti: “For the fairest”

Hera, Athena and Aphrodite
saw this piece of art
and started disputing who it was for.
Disgusted by the constant bickering,
Zeus sent them to Mount Ida near Troy
to be judged by the shepherd Paris,
who chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful,
accepting Helen’s hand for a bribe.

Paris, having come to fetch his bribe at Sparta,
where Helen was queen,
left the city
as her lover and sailed with her to Troy.
But her husband Menelaus
and his brother Agamemnon
took great exception for this theft,
sent a powerful army against Troy;
and the rest is history.

This symbol
is a favorite of those fans of the Science Fiction Trilogy
by Robert Anton Wilson:
the Illuminati;
and is hailed by the Discordians:
a movement which pops up now and then
who attend such conventions and festivals
and enjoy a practical joke now and then.
An amulet of mischief and humor.

For more amulets of myth and lore, please visit my Mythicals Page

Amulets by Merlin's Blog

Reflections of the Art of Merlin

Merlin’s Toasting the Moon Amulet

Merlin’s Five and Six point Star of Balance Amulet

Merlin’s Amulet of Pan

Merlin’s Custom Archaeology Trowel Pendant

Merlin’s Amulet of Epona

Merlin’s Custom God and Goddess Amulet

Merlin’s Cernunnos Amulet

Merlin’s Celtic Cross of Joy

Merlin’s Club of Dagda Amulet

Merlin’s Kallisti Amulet

Amulets by Merlin

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